European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 1, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday december 1, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 15 Dollar watch shown below Are the highest Dollar Exchange rates for the week of nov. 24-nov. 30 compared with Dollar rates for the same period one year and five years ago. British Pound one Pound would Cost you $1.77 $197 German Mark one Dollar would buy you 1.57 2.00 1991 a military Exchange rate 1966 Spanish peseta one Dollar would buy you 135 so 102.70 a 19$1 94.30 i 1990 i 1986 i a amps new reports of political and economic problems within the soviet Union continued to bolster the Dollar Friday particularly at the expense of the German Mark. The Dollar scored highest during Early trading in Europe and held most of its gains by closing. The Greenback added to gains notched against the Mark since tuesday when German economic minister Jurgen Molleman said he would like to see it trading above 1.6s Marks. Adding fuel to the fire were the latest reports from Moscow of a possible Kremlin financial collapse. In late new York trading Friday the Dollar Rose to 1.6235 German Marks from 1.6150 wednesday and was Little changed against the British Pound Sterling at $1.7677 compared with $1.7675. Against other european currencies the Dollar Rose to 1.4335 Swiss francs from 1.4275 advanced to 5.5425 French francs from 5.5165 and Rose to 1,223 italian lire from 1,218.25 the official rate for the Sale of. German Marks to . Personnel is 1.59 through monday. The rate is $1.81 for a British Pound also through monday. United press International americans in Germany curtail yuletide spending on off base by Vince Crawley Start writer Germany the Homeland of Christmas Trees and silent night holy night is too pricey for Many americans stationed there. Tarsha Harding from Durham n.c., mailed Home some German souvenirs last Christmas. A i was going to do it again but not this year a the 21-year-old army wife said. A i thought it the Dollar was going to go up but i guess  others like sgt. Mark Hull try not to worry about the buying Power of the Dollar. A the Mark rate does no to affect me hardly any a said Hull a 28-year-old from Wichita Kan. A i still go downtown no matter How Low it  Christmas gifts he is sending Home include a stuff that they can to get in the states a like Beer steins and a Little cooking stones that you heat up in the  sales Are also slumping at the military exchanges. A combination of the draw Down and the stateside recession has put this years sales 13 percent below last year said Barbara Girsch a spokeswoman for the. Army and air Force Exchange services european Headquarters in Munich. Americans make up one Quarter of the customers at Kathe Wohlfahrt a  a tourist shop that Sells crafts and Christmas trinkets in the narrow medieval streets of Rothenburg of Der Tauber. Wilhelm Wohlfahrt Kathes husband and vice president of the company said sales to americans were Cut nearly in half by the persian Gulf War. However Christmas shopping on the Economy the presents that Cost you the equivalent of $20 in 1986 would now Cost you German Mark 1991 1990 1986 $25.40 $27.40 $20 _ do 40 British Pound 1991 1990 1986 $24.92 $27,473 $20 �14.08 italian lira 1991 1990 1986 $22.92 $24.95 $20 27,907 lira of his free time off Post with his German Fiancee. His Mother Marilyn Borntrager was visiting from the states and they planned to hit the German stores Quot especially the Christmas  except for electronics and cameras he said he Wasny to Happy with the selection at the Post Exchange. A go and try to buy a pair of jeans a he said. A you got a Choice of Levis and Levis. And jeans on the Economy Cost 95 Marks about $60 a so his Mother bought him a pair from the states. Robert Biberston said he wont be buying anything German for the holidays. A a in a strictly a Sears Catalon shopper a said the 22-year-old from Riverside Calif. He is with a Karlsruhe signal unit. Jeffrey l. Vaughn also spends most of his paycheck at the pm instead of German stores. At 26, he is an army specialist with a pm a i i a a Ren a and the  he can to afford to Send extravagant or a a a a wife three children other on the was Ana hopefully an a amps Wes Booher business a really picked up again since Early fall. A generally i can say they still give us As Many dollars As Ever they just get less for it a Wohlfahrt said. Dave Borntrager would agree. A the Exchange rate is killing me a said the 27-year-old army Bridge crewman from Virginia Beach a. He has a Barracks room in Karlsruhe but spends most gifts to All the relatives Back Home a a no on e-4 pay a so instead he had a family portrait taken and will Send copies of that along with Christmas cards. Vaughn from Columbus ga., visited his grandmother in Germany about eight years ago when the Dollar was Riding nigh. So when he found out he was being assigned Over Here in 1989, a i was expecting 3-to-l, not 2-to-l.�?� still he said a probably 25 percent of everything i buy is on the  he has Learned to live with the Low Dollar rate which is 1.59 Marks through monday. A a in be been through worse a said. A a in be been through  Holiday Consumers in Italy find lure of the lira is easy to resist by Gary Miller Mediterranean Bureau like Many american service members stationed in Italy Bonnie Peters trimmed her Christmas list this year because of the dollars continued decline. A i struck a few people from my list five or six out of 20,�?� said Peters the command master chief Petty officer of the personnel support det at Nas Sigo Nella Sicily. The Dollar was Worth about 1,279 lire in mid october. It has since declined to just fewer than 1,200, making it difficult for Many americans to afford Holiday shopping on the Economy. Junior sailors assigned to Peters unit who live on the Economy Are beginning to feel a loss of discretionary income because of the sliding Dollar the master chief said. Petty officer 2nd class Carla Gill who likes to buy clothes for her two sons on the Economy said the weakening Dollar keeps her from shopping off base. A it s putting a Damper on going out because you know its going to Cost you More a said Gill a member of the Nas Simonella administrative office. Naples troops Are also feeling the Pinch. A we usually buy a lot of things like clothes and pasta at local markets a said army sgt. Tom Kenyon of the Allied signal group Naples. A we Haven to been shopping Tor a while because we re waiting for the Dollar to go Back  in Northern Italy the temperature has dropped along with the Dollar. A when its cold Here Utility Bills go up a said Melanie Dundas. A when the Dollar is Low you re spending your Money on things like heating. A Dundas the executive Secretary to the 40th support Wing commander at Aviano a has lived in Italy for nearly five  plans in England take a pounding by Meridith Winder . Bureau a weaker Dollar overseas is causing some americans living in England to rethink their Christmas shopping strategy. For nearly a month the military Exchange rate in the United kingdom has averaged about $1.80 to the Pound up about 5 cents since Early october. A a in a a shop ahead person but it a weaker Dollar does change the Type of things you do buy a said Julia Roquemore who works at the Navy a regional contract big Center at Eastcote in London. A a in be been buying since june getting a Little at a time but i have bought some things that Are not quite As expensive.�?�. Roquemore also serves As ombudsman at naval activities United kingdom in London. Acting As the Liaison Between the families and the command she said that she has heard More complaints from families about de Clining purchasing Power. A it does no to Hurt me As much since we live on base a she said. A but the people off base especially those who Are close to their rent Cap have realized a Little More of a crunch when the Dollar  Navy it. Dean Oyler said perspective is important when considering Economy shopping. He pointed out that Many prices in England Are comparable to those found stateside. Some people have even gone one step further when trying to decide whether they can afford to buy something. A i use the �?~2-to-l principle a a said staff sgt. Tod Gohl. A no matter what the Exchange rate i figure $2 to the Pound. That Way you can never go  Gohl with the 6988th electronic Security group at Raf Mildenhall is coming to the end of his second tour in England. He lives on the Economy and routinely shops off base. He also remembers when the Exchange rate was nearly 1-to-l and people shopped primarily Oft base. Kathy Guerrero believes that if people Are planning on buying British Christmas presents they should buy them now. Of a around Christmas last year the Exchange rate went up to As High As $2.04," Guerrero said. A so if you Are going to buy its Best to buy it now instead of later in the  for Guerrero that May not happen. She thinks she will do most of her shopping on base. Despite the Exchange rate some americans Are still buying British gifts. A we Are doing a lot More business with the Christmas season staring a said Beverley Ross. Ross manages the Black Knight a gift shop located in the base Exchange mall on Raf Lakenheath. The gifts Are priced in pounds and can be bought using either dollars or pounds